1874년 함경도 암행어사 조병세의 활동과 환곡 대책 (Secret Royal Inspector Jo Byeong-se’s actions in 1874 in the Hamgyeong-do province, and his efforts to address the Grain Exchange(“Hwan’gok”) problems)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국역사연구회
· 수록지 정보 : 역사와 현실 / 128호 / 143 ~ 185페이지
· 저자명 : 이행묵

초록

이 글에서는 1874년 함경도 암행어사 조병세의 현지 활동을 중심으로 19세기 후반 암행어사의 역할과 그 활동상을 살피고자 했다. 기존 연구는 대체로 서계와 별단을 중심으로 암행어사의 활동을 살폈으나 이는 현지 활동을 구체적으로 보여주지 못한다는 한계가 있다. 본고에서는 조병세가 남긴 여러 형태의 기록을 바탕으로 암행어사가 현지에서 보고 들은 내용과 암행어사의 권한 내에서 실시한 조치를 분석하였다.
1874년 함경도 암행어사로 파견된 조병세는 약 8개월간 함경도 곳곳을 돌아다니며 임무를 수행하였다. 당시 함경도 지역은 1869~1870년 연속적인 흉년 이후로 수많은 유망민이 발생한 상태였다. 이러한 상황에서 암행어사는 어떤 형태로든 민의 부담을 덜어줄 수 있는 방안을 마련해야 했다. 함경도 지역의 가장 큰 문제는 환곡의 폐단이었던 만큼 조병세 역시 환곡 문제를 해결하기 위해 노력하였다. 이를 위해 고을의 사정에 따라 「구폐절목」을 마련하였으며, 한편으로는 포흠곡을 징수하여 재원이 필요한 곳에 분배하였다.
그가 제시한 대안은 암행어사의 권한 내에서 현지에서 즉시 실현 가능한 수준의 현실적인 조처였다. 또한 환곡에 대한 대책은 함경도 지역에서 순차적으로 전개되는 환곡제 개혁의 흐름과도 맞닿아 있었다. 암행어사의 활동이 파격적인 효과를 가져오지는 못했으나 민생 안정과 환곡제 변통이라는 측면에서 일조했을 것이라고 생각한다.

영어초록

Examined in this article is an individual named Jo Byeong-se, who was appointed by the Joseon King to operate in the Hamgyeong-do(咸境道) province as a Secret Royal Inspector[Amhaeng Eosa, 暗行御史]. A particular focus of this work would be on his activities displayed in the year 1874. The goal of this article is to examine the Joseon Secret Royal Inspectors’ role and actions in the latter half of the 19th century. Previous studies examined them through Seo’gye(書啓) and Byeol’dan(別單) materials, but these records do not necessarily show the inspectors’ actions in the field with much expected details. In this article, things that the inspectors would have actually seen and heard in the region, and things that they would have done based on their authorities as Secret Royal Inspectors, are analyzed through Jo Byeong-se’s own writings.
Jo Byeong-se was dispatched to the Hamgyeong-do region in 1874, and toured the province for roughly 8 months, performing his duties. At the time, the region was struck with continued droughts in 1869 and 1870, and bad yields led to countless refugees leaving their hometowns. Facing the situation, Secret Royal Inspectors had to do something to alleviate the pain of the people. At the time, the biggest issue the Hamgyeong-do residents were facing were problems from the Hwan’gok system, which was an institution of exchanging grains that were lent to the public at times of difficulties and then recollected later on. Jo Byeong-se apparently endeavored to bring certain resolutions to the problem, as to that end he established Gupye Jeolmok(救弊節目) codes, which were literally legal instructions to ‘right the wrong.’ He did so for individual areas, with different focuses to accommodate their respective conditions. Meanwhile, he also ordered grains that were supposed to be collected but never was to be submitted as quickly as possible, and redistributed them to anywhere they were needed.
The solutions he displayed were realistic ones, as they were the ones that could be implemented right away in the region under the authority of the Secret Royal Inspector himself. Also, his methods in dealing with the Hwan’gok problem was well aligned with certain reform efforts that had been going on in the Hamgyeong-do province. As a Secret Royal Inspector his actions could not have brought about any extraordinary difference, but it certainly would have helped stabilizing the public to some degree, and brought partial enhancements to the Hwan’gok system.

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